


Loveless: The Scourge

by sanctum_c



Series: Turk Week 2018 [7]
Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Gen, Pop Culture, Post-Canon, Post-Game(s), Theatre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:53:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22365958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: Shinra's new creative director is on a mission to keep on bringing backLovelessuntil it consumes the whole of pop-culture; Reno is not taking this lying down.
Series: Turk Week 2018 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1609954
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Loveless: The Scourge

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'Casual Day' - aka Free Day.

Four years after Meteorfall, Rufus Shinra seemed to feel he had more or less successfully glossed over a lot of problematic decisions by his company. Shinra was still nowhere close to its old potential, held in check firmly by the presence of the more popular WRO. Few did not see the next announcement from Shinra as anything more than a naked PR move. Culture was coming back to the world – and Shinra wanted to held it arrive. There was a swiftly ignored press release about some new creative director the company had hired, but the first production was impossible to dismiss so easily. _Loveless_ was being re-staged.

The former denizens of Midgar took the news well. The absurd long-running play had run the gamut from a must-see production to something everyone had seen more than once, to a darling of some die-hard fans and an utter last resort for a night out to others. But four years had passed and the dust had settled. The revival of the musical (complete with an entirely new ending) was exciting. Rehearsal and wild speculative acceptance threatened to sink the project before it began; a punch-line on news programs and the few dramas that remained on the air in amongst all the re-runs.

What would it be like? Murmurs amongst many concluded that this at last was a sign that while life was radically different now, a semblance of what had once been normal was returning. As long as Shinra did not try turning any of the reactors back on.

_Loveless_ was an immediate sell-out. Tickets sold for outrageous prices and those who had seen the production gushed at length to all those who would listen. To the surprise of no one the soundtrack crushed all competition in the now nascent music charts. VHS copies of the production promised within two years – for those unable to reach Midgar – or unwilling to pay the prices. Pirated copies did the round after Shinra convinced one of the networks to run a live broadcast. Not unheard of to find people humming melodies around Edge. Cloud reported hearing the soundtrack as far out as Gongaga.

Everyone was a _Loveless_ fan now. The news a non-musical TV version was in production was no surprise, and that lead to another round of speculation and anticipation. The series smashed the skewed viewing figures and saw frequent repeats. Shinra not wanting to lose their runaway success soon pushed a feature film into production. This one was a musical. Another version of the soundtrack. Posters, bags, trinkets, magnets, mugs, glasses- _Loveless_ sold and sold.

The news a year later that another version of _Loveless_ adapted to film was less welcome. Not that it stopped the die-hard fans or Shinra. A non-musical version of the series entered cinemas roughly the same time a musical version of the TV series aired. Remixes of any of the four soundtracks flooded the charts – complete with new songs about Loveless, or going to see _Loveless_ , or a significant other was too (or not enough) into _Loveless_.

There was no escaping it and little anyone could do. Until-

“They… they cancelled _Seeds of the Garden_.”

Elena blinked at the dazed Reno. His brief stint on the writing staff and subsequent removal formed an oddly critical part of a new treaty between Wutai and Shinra; near certainly part of Kisaragi’s vague influence on her father. In any case the mysterious AG now had chief writing duties – communicating solely by fax as far as rumours went.

“Huh?”

“ _Seeds of the Garden_ ,” he repeated with a scowl. “Has been cancelled.” Reno clenched his fists. “By _Loveless the Soap Opera_.”

“They are not even pretending anymore are they?” Elena remarked to Rude. She sighed. “You can’t argue with success. _Loveless_ sells.”

Reno scratched his head with frustrated strokes. “Yeah, but how? And why does it mean anything else doesn’t get a look in?” He stared upwards. “I’m going to do something about it.”

“Oh no. Reno. Leave it.” Reno stalked out, Elena and Rude trailing after him.

“No. I want to have a word with the creative director-“ He blinked. “Who even is the guy? Is it a guy?”

“Uh-“ Good question. “Maybe?”

Reno glowered. “Gotta convince him to put something else into production. I… I can take it being cancelled. Not just _Loveless_ all the damned time.”

“Whoever it is, must be a huge fan,” Rude muttered. The renovated Junon was nowhere close to as vast or labyrinthine as the old Shinra building. Finding the creative director’s office was not hard. Elena caught Reno’s arm as he reached for the door.

“Weapon.”

Reno gave her a look. “I’m not going to hurt them.” Elena stared levelly at him. “Fine,” Reno said. He slapped his electro-mag rod into Elena’s hand. “But if they won’t give up on _Loveless_ , I want that back.” Elena said nothing; Reno pushed the door open.

Inside a red-haired man sat hunched at a desk, though that detail was secondary to the singular massive wing sprouting from his back. “Sephiroth?!” Elena gasped. “Wait, no. Who-“ The man turned.

“Genesis,” Reno groaned. “Should have known”

“Do you want something?” the former SOLDIER looked distracted. “I’m right in the middle of my next project.”

“is that… a video game?” Elena asked peering at the screen.

“Is that _Loveless the video game_?” Rude asked almost choking.

Genesis beamed at them. “Guaranteed best-seller.” Wordlessly Elena handed Reno back the electro-rod.


End file.
